From 1 January 2027, motorists renewing a UAE driving licence that has been expired for more than 10 years will have to pass theory and practical tests under federal traffic rules. The Emirates News Agency (WAM) confirmed that Cabinet Decision No. (174) of 2026, the implementing regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. (14) of 2024 on the Regulation of Traffic, takes effect on that date.
The WAM summary covers vehicle caps, two-year registration, scooter permits, child seats and delivery drivers. It does not spell out the 10-year retest rule. Detail on that point comes from what local newspapers reported about Article 76.
Key points
- Cabinet Decision 174 of 2026 takes effect on 1 January 2027 (WAM)
- Article 76 (as reported): theory and practical tests if the licence has been expired more than 10 years from the expiry date
- The threshold is time since expiry, not years since the licence was first issued
- Dubai’s RTA already requires an “evaluation test” after 10+ years expired; that is not established as identical to the new federal pair of tests
- Article 82 (as reported): learner permits may last up to six months and can be renewed
What the UAE driving licence rules say from 2027
Khaleej Times, citing Article 76 on reassessing and rehabilitating drivers, reports that holders who have not renewed for more than 10 years from the expiry date must take the theoretical and practical tests set by the relevant licensing authority, and meet the other renewal conditions. The Federal Traffic Council may set the minimum theory and practical tests.
The same reporting says the article does not prescribe a full beginner driving course or mandatory training hours for these renewals. Exact test content for the 10-year cases has not been published; licensing authorities and the Federal Traffic Council will set that later.
| Rule | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Effective date | 1 January 2027 | WAM |
| Cabinet Decision | No. 174 of 2026 (implements Decree-Law 14 of 2024) | WAM |
| Article 76 (reported) | Theory + practical if expired more than 10 years from expiry date | Khaleej Times / Gulf News |
| Article 82 (reported) | Learner permit maximum of six months, renewable | Khaleej Times |
| Dubai today | RTA evaluation test after 10+ years expired | rta.ae |
Dubai practice today versus the federal package
Retesting long-expired licences is not entirely new in Dubai. The Roads and Transport Authority’s Renew Driving Licence service already says that if a licence expired more than 10 years ago, the customer must take an Evaluation Test to renew. RTA guidance calls it an evaluation test. It is not established that today’s Dubai assessment is the same as the forthcoming federal theory and practical package.
Drivers watching other road changes may also want our earlier notes on Dubai’s new speed limits from 1 November and on Abu Dhabi’s self-driving car licence plates.
Learner permits: up to six months
Separately, Khaleej Times reports that Article 82 lets learner permits be valid for a period not exceeding six months and renewable. That replaces the three-month renewable term in Ministerial Resolution No. 130 of 1997, Article 109. The wording sets a maximum, not a guarantee that every permit is issued for exactly six months, and existing permits are not automatically extended.
What WAM confirmed about the wider package
Beyond licence renewal, WAM says the regulations also cover a maximum of five vehicles per resident, an option to extend light-vehicle registration to two years, scooter and e-bike permits from age 15, child seats for children aged four and under, a nine-hour driving cap in any 24-hour period, and rules for delivery drivers. Those points are useful context; the 10-year retest remains the change most drivers will feel when renewing a long-expired card.
For day-to-day motoring costs, see also our latest UAE fuel prices for November 2026.
Anyone whose UAE licence has been expired for a long stretch should check with their emirate’s licensing authority before January 2027, settle outstanding fines, and not assume that Dubai’s current evaluation test will automatically satisfy the new federal requirement.
Sources: WAM, Dubai RTA, Khaleej Times
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